The Wild and the Kind
by Kureiji-Kurai
Summary: The first time seventeen year old Katniss Everdeen ever saw one of them, she was out fishing in the tiny cove beyond the borders of her town. Something wild turned out to be something kind. Something forbidden turning into something beautiful. That something saved her life. Siren AU
1. Chapter 1

**The Wild and the Kind**

*The Hunger Games (not mine)

* * *

The first time seventeen year old Katniss Everdeen ever saw one of _them,_ she was out fishing in the tiny cove beyond the borders of her town. It had been low tide and she had taken her nets out as far and deep as possible. The type of fishing she had been doing was neither an easy task alone or exactly legal in her area, what with the King's laws, but desperation drove people to do a lot of inadvisable things.

The tide was rushing in like a frightened school, fast as ever, but even next to the drop off, perched on the rocky shelf that would soon be under water, she was not worried. This was something she did frequently just to keep her mother and younger sister from starving so she knew enough to bring her tiny, patched boat along and tie it up beside her.

Nothing was out of the ordinary. The day was a very normal one. Her tattered jeans were normal; the raincoat not so new but still fully functional was more so; her dark hair kept out of her way in her usual braid down her back was more than common; when she turned to check the shoreline everything stopped seeming normal.

Actually, nothing had ever been normal again.

The first thing she noticed, eyes wide in disbelief, was was a swimmer that had somehow sneaked up on her; it was unusual for anyone to get so close without alerting her keen senses. Furthermore, it was clear right away that _he_ was _not_ normal. The long and sharp looking spines sticking up along gray skin of the man's back and into the waves. Second she noticed long teeth, a double row in a mouth unnaturally large, splitting around half his streamline face and clearly inhuman. Those were like a shark but not as broad, more like a barracuda. And finally she noticed he had the rope to her boat clenched in his jaws, webbed hands pulling on it like a dog might with a toy. She also noticed he only had slits for a nose but her interest in that was minor.

It took her a long moment of staring at him to even develop a cognitive estimation of what was happening, but when the rope snapped and he pushed it away to focus round, beady black eyes hungrily on her, she started to work it out.

A monster was in the gap between her and safety and it had plans.

With the tide moving fast, her rock was surrounded even if her nets were in reach. Having just lost her boat she would have to swim to get to shore - with him flicking a long, bony tail and beginning to claw up her rock, it seemed impossibly far even if it was only a few yards. There would also be a climb up the rocky face to contend with and she was not fool enough to think it could not jump. Even with no boat to hide in the little cave it would take her far too long to climb away from reach.

Backing away to the edge of her rock was all she could do aside from rambling madly at him, out of breath and gasping like she had been swimming for miles, "You can have the fish in the net! However many I caught, they are yours! _I have a family!_ They _need_ me, I'm the only one that can do this!" He paid that no mind, hissing at her like a snake with sand caked in its mouth while he struggled to pull himself higher.

It would not be long before the water helped him with that struggle and then her corner of security would be gone. That drove her to kick desperately at the hairless head with her meager rain boots. The growling hiss he offered was a frightening sound she would hear when the lights went off for weeks on end. The claws of one of his hands snapped around the foot and she could feel them pricing her skin even through the ripping rubber. Her screams were probably very loud as she kicked and failed her foot to free it, slipping it from the ruined boot in a raw panic.

Honestly, she had never been one to scream easily when startled but there was something about facing a monster for the first time that seemed to bring it out of her quite violently; her throat already felt raw. Though the kicking had made the thing slide down a little, claws making loud scraping sounds as it slid, so she would take what she could get.

Her breaths were coming in quick, hyper bursts, heart beating a quick drum rhythm against her ribs. There were things that frightened her in life but she was skilled at shoving them aside and bringing her mind into a focus to reason out the actions she should take, but with the tide rushing, her rock sinking, the shore blocked by a toothy monster from old fishing stories no one believed, and panic was attaching itself quite well into her mind to make a home there.

"Oh God, oh God, please God!" It left her lips in a long litany, a prayer with very limited coherency but more than enough conviction and insistence to get the message across just in case God was listening, because she hoped he was.

Being drowned or eaten alive violently was not on her list of wishes. Actually, if she died where she was, her family would never know what happened or where it happened. No one would find her _if_ there was _anything_ to find after it finished. She would go missing and they would never know why. Some people might say she ran away and that might be better than the truth but her sister would never believe it, her sister would know that only death could keep her older sister from coming back; her mother would know too but she would hope for the former, never one to accept unpleasant reality easily if there were other options.

The water licked at her already clammy fingers and the splash ran up her back, soaking into her hair to let her know the water was moving to hasten her untimely demise. Consequently, the monster was moving as well, making progress up its side of the rock, ready to pull itself up with her any moment. She would kick again when she thought it might be off balance but that would cost her the other boot, leaving her next time with only skin to be ripped but that would not stop her. If there was one thing she knew it was that she would go down fighting and fighting hard; if she died she would hurt him for it.

So luck would have it, she did not have to kick at him because he was falling in a massive splash of his own thrashing tail and the addition of a second. Katniss frowned at the water, leaning up quickly on her knees to see, not exactly believe she could have seen a _second_ monster launched from the waves, one with big muscles, and healthier looking arms to clamp round the gray one's neck. The water churned and thrashed with their motion like the end of the falls in the Capitol, and once again it took her a moment of focus to understand the battle she was witnessing. Against her better instinct she leaned farther forward, balancing on her hands to better watch as they struggled and rolled about in the water like wild, ravings beats.

Unfortunately, realization dawned almost instantly that she was the meal they were battling over. Perhaps one was a rogue intruding on the territory of the other's hunting grounds, which would make sense. A distant, analytical part of her brought forth how slim and bony the first sea monster had been; the second, though she could not see it well in the churning water, looked decidedly more fit and even had better color of stark white spots and rich, smooth black over thick muscle she could actually see working in the tail. While the first was strong looking with obvious power, it was not healthy.

The winner was an obvious choice even before the battle was put to a close with the gray scaled _fish?_ diving away and shooting beneath the depths where she could no longer see. The second one must have been able to watch much farther than she judging by the way his shocking, electric blue eyes remained fixed and his dark tail lashed at the tips like an angry cat. When he finally looked at her, meeting her frightened grey eyes, she thought his might have been an even more vivid hue than she first thought.

A little shock ran up her spine when he smiled at her, not an entirely good feeling, though it did force her too look at more than just his eyes and tail. They were perfect teeth, white and straight, pointed at the ends but much more human than the first. Her eyes refocused a little, allowing her to take in more than one item at a time and he obligingly stayed still for her to do so rather than attacking right away. This one looked much more human. His face and a good portion of his upper half were a peachy shade, though it faded to white and black the lower her eyes traced until the black and white speckles were rampant. This one even had hair, damp but something she guessed was ash blonde, or perhaps lighter when dry; it was pushed back and relatively neat for someone that had been engaged in a dramatic fight. Come to think of it, she remembered him pushing it out of his face earlier when he surfaced to watch the other fish-thing flee, not that it actually mattered in the slightest.

Katniss jumped, gripping frantically at the rocks, heart in her throat when he spoke; "Hello" in a rich, soft baritone she instantly understood was part of his allure. One word, only one and she felt enticed and soothed all at once. If he continued long enough in that voice she felt sure he would be able to make her forget her fears and cajole her right into the water. _This is a Siren_ , her mind informed her, and that was how many met unfortunate ends. It was horrifying to know in her heart of hearts that he could undoubtedly bring her to him without a struggle, using that sweet, gentle tone that struck such a cord with her.

This was a Siren. What had the other been?

Her body stiffened impossibly just to counteract whatever he was doing to her. She was Katniss Everdeen and she was _not_ that easy to kill! She had always been a fighter, a rebel, and a hard worker. This might be as inevitable a death as her first encounter, but again, she did not plan to make it easy. Her plump lips had thinned to a near line, one she hoped spoke volumes of defiance she did not have the ability to speak in real words.

His body shifted just slightly, rippling the waves in tiny streams to frame him like a moving picture, "Are you alright?" He spoke slowly and so very softly, enough so that he made her tongue loosen on its own.

"Yes, thank you." It was a little humiliating how quietly and pitifully those few words had left her lips; also that she thanked the monster that was about to chew her flesh from her bones.

Maybe she thanked him because he just looked so gentle and harmless, like the kind of person you would find living down the street, or maybe as a neighbor you could see yourself liking. His sturdy jaw seemed made for nothing more than to support and frame smiles like the first one he had offered in greeting. This handsome face was not the face of a monster but she supposed that was how a Siren could do what they did.

He shifted again, closer now and with clear intent of entering her space, and that made her knees jerk right up to her chin to instinctively protect vital organs and make her a smaller target. Her response gave him pause, causing him to move with that much more care and measured slowness as he placed both hands on her rock. The action displayed the webbing between his fingers, the black speckles dotting his hands like freckles, and also his claws. Those nails were nothing like the long, thin, grotesque things from the first creature, but they were far from blunt.

"My name is Peeta." He informed her gently, softly, like he was entreating her.

She knew he was engaging her, trying to draw her out but all she could manage was a very quiet, "Oh."

He was not deterred but patiently asked, "What is your name?"

Before she thought to lie lest he spin some sort of magic against her using the information, the word was rolling from her tongue, "Katniss."

A smile lit his face like the sun in spring, adding warmth she had not been expecting to see where his expression had been wary before, "Well, hello, Katniss."

She said nothing, only stared at him and his sweet, boyish smile. He would look human if you did not study him too closely, though it was obvious how little he was in the sun when compared to her own tan skin. Being under water made what would have been his human aspect of color nearly white like parts of his tail. The merchants were also much lighter in skin color as opposed to the men and women out in the sun for days on end. He could have passes for a merchant's child without the fins swaying around in the water to hold him stationary.

The water again crashed up her back but this time it also lapped over her legs and lingered, letting her know it was almost over. The rock was under water and her perch was leaving her to his mercy. There was very little if anything she could do after her safe place was taken away but the water did not offer kindness, it only did what it was meant to without feeling.

"I have a family." She blurted out for the second time, not believing it would help but still hopeful that it might.

"I know." He said softly, touching her bare and cold toes with a surprisingly warm hand, "I heard you before... but that is why you should hurry before they come back."

Katniss frowned at him in confusion, "Who? The other one?"

He nodded, "Marvel." As if that told her anything whatsoever, "But Cato was in these waters as well so we must hurry!"

"What is Kato? Hurry where?" Her fear had been replaced with a lot of questions, but she remembered it when he took hold of her other foot and promptly jerked her from the rock.

She crashed into the freezing water with a cry of alarm and a second for the way he tugged her to his chest. Struggling was automatic, her body thrashing in as close to a snakes wriggling as she could manage but his grip did not falter. He easily held her as he spun onto his back, acting a bit like a capsized boat she could cling to that also happened to be alive and moving; not that she needed it for she was a very capable swimmer but he was remarkably fast. The rocky cliffs were within reach before she had a chance to fight him in his new position. Peeta shifted back up, thick, fleshy fins at his hips moving in firm stokes at her side to give him that balance he needed as he shoved her onto a ledge.

It seemed like her mind was moving sluggishly, uncomprehending what was happening to her. Katniss only stared at him, unmoving and unable to think clearly and she lost her sense in his blue eyes.

"Katniss, go!" He urged her, motioning up the cliff.

"But my nets..." She mumbled, looking out at the water, "And my boat... I need those."

Peeta shook his head emphatically, "Later, now you need to leave."

Her grey eyes met with his blue again in bewilderment, "I don't understand... Why? Are you just going to let me go?"

"Go on, go back to your home and worry after you are away." And suddenly he dropped beneath the waves like a stone, making her gasp and lean after him, eyes searching the dark depths.

He broke the surface where her rock had been in only seconds, "Quickly!" He urged her again, and this time she was able to snap herself from her daze to obey.

Katniss scaled the wall, ignoring with effort the lack of one boot, and ran for the tiny house she shared with her mother and sister, legs pumping so hard and fast she thought she might dry her clothing with the wind before she could even arrive home. As he suggested she put thoughts aside of how to find a boat again when attaining that one had been such a struggle; she shoved aside worry over material for a new set of nets and the loss of a days catch in favor of being glad she seemed to have survived. The mercy of a beautiful Siren with a gentle smile had saved her but none would ever believe her if she said as much so she would not say.

She found herself wishing she might one day see him again, if only to thank him in a clearer frame of mind. Perhaps she would always watch the splashes of long tails with greater interest after this, she thought.

* * *

Note: Not sure I'll continue it or not but I needed to get this idea out of my head a little! I needed siren!Peeta in my life, though he's a good siren! Peeta would be a mix of Whale shark and minke whale


	2. Chapter 2

**The Wild and the Kind**

*Hunger Games

* * *

Katniss Everdeen had not been looking for Peeta, she had been looking for her boat. If she happened to watch the water more carefully than the shore, well, that was her business.

Her boat, small as it was, was more important than a mutated fish.

The fact that she spotted him the moment he neared was coincidental and due to the fact that he was hard to miss, not her desire to find him.

On the same line, her heart did not flutter with happiness or relief in seeing him, it was just the sort of feeling anyone would have if they saw something legendary for the second time. It was normal the way her voice rose when she called out his name. What else would she be expected to do? Ignore him?

Since he was swimming in her waters, she had reason to find out more about him. Besides, she did owe him a debt. It would be rude, even in her mind, not to thank him. No one accused her of being very tactful, but she did have standards.

He smiled, charming and sweet, with twinkling eyes, "Hello, Katniss."

She jerked her chin in something of a nod.

"I see you were looking for me as well." His voice was like honey, smooth and gooey, and warmed to trickle out just right.

"No," she denied instantly, "I wasn't. I was looking for my boat." Her arms folded quickly over her chest, press tightly to her in a protective form.

If possible, he looked even more amused, smile widening, "Oh, I see."

This was the second time she had seen a mermaid, Siren, sea monster, or whatever they were to be called but this time it had been intentional. However, it was no less mesmerizing than it had been when her mind was addled with terror and a need to escape.

Katniss shifted from foot to foot under his scrutiny, staring him down from her place above, "I come here all the time. I have just as much right to be here as you do."

And he laughed, and her heart skipped several beats. She moved forward, unable to stop herself from getting a little closer to the edge. That laugh was beautiful, like summer sun and waves lapping over her feet on the beach; it was childhood innocence, the first really big fish she ever caught, and it was the wind catching the sails of a ship to carry it somewhere far away and far better.

It was like she could not make her lips remain closed and the first thing on her mind tumbled out, "I wanted to see you again."

Peeta drift forward, gripping the rocks and cocking his head questioningly, "Why might that be?"

Katniss glared at him to counteract the awed look she must have been wearing before, her voice turning harsh, "I had a question."

"Allright. Ask it." He kept hold of the rocks, but leaned back like a cat eyeing a bird it is assured of catching. That annoyed her instantly because she was not some simple human he could have for a song.

Cocking one hip, fingers of one hand resting there to show irritation, Katniss blurted her question in a bland tone, "Why did you help me?"

He let free a sound, similar to a hum, but different. It did something to her, though she did not know what.

Peeta stared up at her from the pool of dark water, blue of his eyes hypnotic like nothing she had ever seen before in her life. With better lighting and a slightly different location, she could see the speckled patterns in his tail. She had seen whale sharks before, sailing in the deeper waters on her father's ship. It reminded her of that. It was a strong, muscled tail she guessed was an open display of power in his world.

His world... his kind... the ones she did not believe in until the day before. It was curiosity that brought her back in search of a glimpse of her Siren rescuer. Nothing but curiosity and searching for her lost boat.

She decided she would not go near the water for quite some time. There would not be any boating for a while, the shore would have to be good enough when she fished. It would mean finding a different location but she could do that.

"I helped you because I could not leave you to be killed." Peeta's soft, sweet voice sent a shiver up her spine.

Katniss hummed noncommittally and crossed her arms over her chest as if that would protect her if he tried to lure her closer to the edge. The water was up high in the cove and she had taken a stroll around it and farther to the coast, waiting to catch sight of him if she could. She did not expect to find him as she walked over the rocky face, but he surprised her, seeming to have been doing the same. He had been looking for her, he even admitted it.

"That is not exactly an answer." She informed him blithely.

"You would rather I tell you I saved you because you were the loveliest human I had ever seen, and the thought of Marvel ripping you into pieces was too much? Or that you sounded so frightened and desperate I just had to make it stop? Or perhaps I felt called to your side, drawn to you inexplicably and found you in danger that I was meant to save you from." Peeta was smiling alluringly, staring into her eyes to watch for her reactions.

"No." Katniss barked, clenching her hands into her shirt sleeves, "The first one was sufficient, I was just saying it was not very informative, but that's all you need say."

He had the never to chuckle and it was horrible how sweet it sounded, "Are you blushing?"

"No!" She snapped again, "don't be presumptuous."

"Oh, I would not dream of it, Katniss." His voice forming her name had her knees weakening for reasons she did not understand.

She gracefully eased herself to the ground and sat cross legged just in case. "Why did you come back here anyway?"

"I needed to see you." He told her, voice and face honest and open, "I wanted to be sure you were well after what had happened."

"How did you know I would come back? I might have decided never to return." She had leaned closer to the edge without noticing.

"I just knew." He answered cryptically before using toned arms to pull himself onto a long rocky spot along the shore a few yards below.

She was surprised by his size when he was fully stretched out before her eyes rather than beneath the waves. Laid out on his stomach like a cat, she could make out the dips and rises of his broad shoulders and tapering pack, not to mention the fleshy fins and tail. It surprised her that he would allow her to see him so exposed. His arms crossed and he rested his head, still watching her closely but sunning himself in the heat.

Her gray eyes studied his every curve, raking over his length and design to commit it to memory. If she had been born with a bit of artistic skill she would desperately want to draw him. Maybe she could convince Primrose to try; then again, trying to describe this would be impossible and it would make her baby sister question her sanity.

Her mother would say she was a dreamer, like her late father. She would say, "what good does dreaming do us" or something bitter like that. Being in love had not saved her parents from heartbreak.

"Why did you really come back?" Katniss could not say why she asked when she did not want to know. "Do you hunt here often?"

He drew in a long breath and she noticed what had to be gills flutter on the juncture between neck and shoulder. "I would not call it hunting, just fishing, like you. I don't go for...larger prey, shall we say?"

"Why not? I'm sure humans are easy for you, more so than fish. Humans are not as fast in the water."

His dark brows arched, eyes sparkling, "You want me to?" His voice was highly skeptical but it had not lost the humor at all.

Katniss shook her head, "No, it's just that it seems like you... that it would... isn't it what you do, lure humans in?"

Peeta flicked his powerful fins, sending water flying in several directions. "Some do, some don't. It depends... on what we are... and what pod we live in."

She leaned forward again, scooting closer to the edge, "What do you mean? What is the difference? Like... sharks versus killer whales?"

He shook his head almost fondly, "Something like that. We usually don't get too close to the shore. Even those that do 'hunt' stay well away from the land unless there is no choice. If we take a meal, we steal it off a ship in the open water."

Rather abruptly, in a graceful motion that looked impossible, Peeta launched himself from the rock, twirling in the air twice before cutting into the waves with hardly a splash. It took her a full minute before she noticed her jaw was hanging slack. Once she noticed she snapped it shut and stuck out her chin in defiance.

Peeta cut under the water and began to twine his way around the rocks to progress farther down the shore. Graceful could not even describe the way he moved, beautiful was not enough either. Under the waves he was the sea itself; dangerous but alluring all the same. Like the sea he pulled her with him, the moons pull on the waves.

She found herself on the shore line, stood at the low side of the cliff. When she came to the edge, he was waiting, coiled like a snake. When he jumped toward her she fell to the ground to avoid being caught, but he was not aiming for her.

He slung himself like a tree snake around a fallen oak and watched, bemused, as she scrambled to regain her feet and her pride. The way he draped himself seemed imposing to her, but it proved his skeletal structure was nothing close to human. No human spine could move like his but it was... exotic and interesting.

"You were right. I had a second motive for returning to this place." He blithely informed her.

Katniss glared from her place on the ground but refused to stand up and prove whatever it was he thought he accomplished, "What?"

His webbed fingers worked quickly at a knotted rope tied to the tree and once it was free, he extended it to her. It was green from algi, not tan like it should have been, probably from being in the water for weeks or months. She got to her feet and dusted off her jeans for emphasis of her lack of amusement, but she took the rope with distinct lack of being impressed.

"What is this?" She demanded.

Peeta motioned over the edge with his eyes.

Katniss made a face at him, "Oh, so you can push me off the side?"

"If I wanted to kill you, I could have drowned you yesterday."

He had a point, she would concede. Judging by the jumps she had seen, he could probably reach her as close as she was to the edge anyway. That in mind, she stepped closer and looked over the side.

She gasped, eyes widening when she spied it, swaying lazily in the clam water of the cove, "You..." Her voice faltered as her eyes turned to his face, "saved my boat..."

His expression was so gentle, smile warm like a cup of tea on a cold day, "It seemed to mean a lot to you. The nets could not be saved though, I'm afraid."

"I can make new nets, but not a boat." She took a long breath, a happy, genuine smile forming on her lips, "Thank you." It did not seem enough, but she had nothing else to offer, so she said it again, as sincerely as she felt it, "Thank you for doing this."

Peeta's smile turned impossibly brighter, and she found she no longer thought about the points of his teeth when he did.

With his help she was able to return the boat to its old hiding place, none the worse for wear. They managed to get it tucked away into the cave and do so quickly. It never paid to leave a boat out in the open for long just in case anyone spotted it. Not that being seen with a siren was bound to end much better, at least her sister would still have a boat if not a living sibling.

Once the main danger was over she found herself seated beside the water with a potential killer at her side, fully trusting him without knowing why.

A very large part of her wanted to be content with the way things turned out but she had never been so easy to pacify. It was a blessing but she needed to know more.

A siren had no reason to help a human, no reason not to kill them. Yet, here he was, helping her and never harming her despite his ample chances. She had to understand.

"So what makes you so different?" Her fingers twined together tightly with nerves, "Why aren't you trying to eat me like the other one? Why let me live and not take an easy meal?"

He tipped his face skyward to gaze at the clouds, "We're all predators, Katniss, even you; difference is in what we prey on. We are... similar in more than appearance to our aquatic cousins. Cato is closest in relation to the Bull Shark - like his counterpart, he will as easily kill and eat me as you, or anyone else. My pod is not like that but it is the ones like Cato and Marvel that give us all a reputation and provide... Lord Snow with all the reasons he needs to make us feared and give them reason to hunt us."

It had not been Lord Snow for a rather long time, but she did not bother to correct the honorific. What the king did not know would hurt nothing.

"Snow hunts you? How? How could he even catch you?"

Never before had she heard of the Capitol being involved in siren hunting. No one knew they really existed but she could believe that those people, once any of them caught the indication their was something new to destroy, would take it as a challenge. The districts never heard things like that anyway. They were not that important. Snow owned everything that belonged to them, including their lives, but he did not care to speak with them.

Peeta looked resigned to some extent, "He has ways. He knows the patterns we kept to and where we used to go. We change to adapt, but there are some things we cannot change. There are reasons we must come to land, and those cannot be alerted."

"Why do you have to come to land? Can't you stay away?" Katniss was alight with curiosity that would not be stopped, she had to know more.

Peeta pursed his lips a moment, contemplating very obviously how much he should say, "We must come to land when our offspring are near birth in case we are forced to bring them to shore. If the mother is too far out, and it is a fry that must be brought in, the young one will die. The pods follow the mothers to protect them while they await the arrival. Snow finds those nesting places and destroys any within."

She was silent a long while, letting the unpleasant revelation penetrate. If the family, or pod, followed one mother to be, it sounded very much to her like they all were destined to die if they were found. How many lives would that be normally?

"What would force you to bring the baby onto land that you could not better deal with in the water?" She finally asked.

His eyes were gentle but shrouded when he looked at her, "That is a particularly well guarded secret that goes back many generations."

Secrets, she supposed, were understandable and she could accept it, "How did he find out?"

Peeta's lips curled in a silent growl, "He... found one of our... land hatcheries, if you will. He caught a caretaker."

She held up a hand, not wanting to know what that would mean or how many... babies had died from that discovery. It was not something she wanted to hear. "Is that why you are here? Your family is here for a...birth?"

"No. I'm here for Finnick, because the white ships are on the move."

She did not care what or who Finnick was. What caught her attention was more pressing information of greater value than she could have hoped for. At the same time she would almost prefer not to had heard.

The blood in her body ran entirely cold. "They are near here? " her voice shook now and she did not care. "But they never come this early!"

There should have been more time. It was too early in the year! Snow never collected this soon. Why would he change? Just to throw them off? That was conceivable.

Peeta took her hand in his carefully and tried to offer solace, "They might not come here. They are after us more than you. Humans are not as likely to be in danger."

Katniss shook her head grimly, pursing her lips and dragging her knees to her chin, "No, it's us too. He hunts us as well. Every time he travels, makes his way through the districts, people are taken away as tributes to his greatness." She chewed at her lips, pulling her hand from his to grip at her old denim pants, "They are killed or enslaved, no one really knows exactly what happens, but they never come back. The few that do are never recognizable as the people they were when they left. They shut themselves away or return to the Capitol or..." With that she cut herself short, not wanting to finish.

After a moment of silence, she did continue, but on a different topic, "The districts used to have names. We used to be places, but after the war he took them away and gave us numbers instead... like we stopped being real or maybe just stopped mattering."

The way he looked at her, the understanding, it made her want to hide. Life was becoming too complicated too quickly. She was a simple girl trying to keep her family alive on the meager things she could illegally obtain. The past day and a half was more than she could handle.

"I have to go. I need to warn everyone." She scrambles to her feet without grace and stumbled in a daze.

"Be careful, Katniss." Peeta called after her, "stay safe."

She did not respond, or more, could not respond with the growing lump in her throat. The best she could muster was a backward wave of her hand. Instead of looking back the way she wanted to, she ran. Her duty was too her family, not some sea creature.

God, she hoped Snow never found that one! She hoped he was safe and happy for the rest of his days. Someone like that deserved a good, peaceful life.

But she could not get involved more than she was with the plight of a siren when there were too many on land.

She would forget about the kind siren one day. She would forget his smile and the spark of happiness she felt when she was near him.

The next day, the big white sails appeared and no one left their homes, each hoping not to be seen but knowing they would fail.

When the pounding sounded on their door it was almost expected. Or it seemed so by the way their mother reacted. She pushed Prim into a closet and leaned her slender body against it like she could protect her child with the force of her will. It was like she knew what they wanted before they forced the door open.

"We are here for Primrose Everdeen." One of the men in white armor announced gruffly, but with a chilling calm.

Prim shared the beauty of their mother; long blond hair and shinning blue eyes, with a face that would have fit perfectly into high society if not for the smudge of dirt on her cheek. Mrs. Everdeen was wild eyed and she looked so helpless.

Katniss moved before she knew what she was doing. "I am Primrose Everdeen."

* * *

Note : May not continue this farther. I'll decide later. If it bugs me I will.


End file.
